Hip splint



Oct. 11, 1960 w. A. CRAIG 2,955,594

HIP SPLINT Filed July 9, 1959 69 :m! um s! 63 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM A. CRAIG BY W4 W I n ed Sttes P e t r HIP SPLINT.

William A. Craig, Whittier, Calif., assignor to Richards Manufacturing Company, Memphis, Tenn.

Filed July 9, 1959, Ser. No. 826,046

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-87) This invention relates to a hip splint, particularly adapted for the treatment of the hips of infants from a birth to approximately three and one-half years of age.

The difficulty of treating'infants for any hip ailment can readily be appreciated when the following problems are considered. In the treatment of congenital dysplasia and dislocation of the hips, the ideal splinting position is with the hips at 90 degrees flexion and 90 degrees abduction. There is the problem of keeping the hips in this correct position for healing without making the infant ness of infants. Also, there is the problem of correctly j fitting the splint to the infant.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming the above mentioned and other problems, and thus one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a hip splint for infants which holds the hips comfortably in an ideal splinting position without casing rigid immobilization.

A further object is to provide such a splint which is formed of plastic whereby making it impervious to moisture and completely sanitary, yet which is so constructed that despite the resiliency of the plastic, the hips are held in the correct position.

A further object is to provide a cushioned border around the edges of the splint to prevent irritation.

A further object is to provide such a splint which serves as a holder for the infants diaper to eliminate the need for safety pins.

A further object is to provide a splint which can be quickly and easily .put on and removed from the infant so that the diapers can be changed quickly and easily.

A further object is to provide adjustment means for varying the sizeof the splint so that it is suitable for all infants from birth to approximately three and onehalf years.

A further object is, generally, to improve the design and construction of splints for infants.

These objects are accomplished by the present invention which, in general, comprises a substantially tubular plastic body, having openings adjacent the opposite ends thereof through which openings the legs of the infant are adapted to extend substantially in opposite directions and having a trunk opening intermediate the ends of said" body at 90 degrees relative to said first mentioned openings, through which the trunk of the infant is adapted to extend. This unique tubular construction of the splint which forms an important feature of the present invention permits the splint to be formed of a resilient plastic which would not hold the hips in the correct position except for the fact that the splint is tubular in shape. In other words, the tubular shape of the splint gives structural strength to the plastic, and by forming the splint ,4 2,955,594 Patented Oct. 11 1960 1 ice 2 of plastic, a structure is provided with is impervious to moisture and thus completely sanitary.

The present invention will now be more specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention,

with the fastening means being shown in a fastened disposition.

i Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the portions of the splint of the present invention disassembled from the other portion and with the fastening means being shown in an unfastened disposition.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other portion.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showingthe splint in use on an infant, with only the lower part of the infants body being shown, and which lower part is shown in broken lines.

7 Fig. 5 is-a cross-sectional view taken as on the line VV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as on the line VI-VI ofFig. 3.

- Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as on the line VIIVII of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the various parts are indicated by reference characters, in the assembled disposition as shown in Fig. 1, the body 11 of the splint 13 of the present invention is substantially tubular in shape and is formed of resilient plastic or the like. The opposite ends of body 11 define openings 15, 17, through which the infants legs indicated as at L in'Fig. 4, are adapted to extend. An elongated opening 19 is provided in the upper part of body 11 for the trunk T of the infant to extend.

1- Body 11- is interrupted along a longitudinal line adjacent the upper part thereof, which line extends between elongated opening 19 and the end of the body at opening 15 to provide adjacent longitudinal edges 21, 23 of the body. Body 11 is also interrupted along another longitudinal line adjacent theupper part thereof, which extends between elongated opening 19 and the end of the body at opening 17 to provide adjacent longitudinal edges 25, 27 ofthe body. a

A flap 29, formed of resilient plastic or the like, is fixedly attached adjacent one end thereof as by brads 31 or the like to body 11 adjacent edge 21 and extends generally towards edge 23. Likewise, a flap 33, formed of resilientplastic or the like, is fixedly attached adjacent one .end thereof as by brads 35 or the like to body 11 adjacent edge 25 and extends generally towards edge 27. It will be understood that the purpose of flaps 29,

i 33'is to form arcuateextensions of body 11 when the edges 21, 23 and the edges 25, 27 are respectively spread apart, as for example, to accommodate an infant having large legs. In other words, flaps 29, 33 prevent a gap being formed in body 11, which would be uncomfortable to the infant. The free ends of flaps 29, 33 are adapted toextend under the opposite edges 23, 27 respectively. Thus, as best seen in Fig. 5, the free end of flap 33 is shown extended underv edge 27.

A strap 37, formed ofresilient plastic or the like, is attached adjacentone. endthereof to body 11 adjacent edge 21, preferably bythe same brads 31 that attach flap 29. Strap 37 extends over flap 29, and suitable attaching means is provided for attaching strap 37 adjacent its free end to body 11 adjacent edge 23. Said attaching means preferably comprises a snap fastener 39, of well-known construction, one part of which is movably engaged on the strap as by the buckle-like member 41 and the other part of which is fixedly secured to body 11 adjacent edge 23 as at 43. Thus, member 41 is adjustable along strap 37 to form the correct size of opening 15. In a similar manner, a strap 45, formed of resilient plastic or the like, is fixedly attached adjacent one end thereof to body 11 adjacent edge 25 and extends over flap 33. Also in a like manner, attaching means is provided for strap 45 in the form of a snap fastener 47, one part of which is movably engaged on the strap as by the buckle-like member 49 and the other part of which is fixedly secured to body 11 adjacent edge 27 as at 51.

Body 11 is preferably divided into two halves or portions 53, 55. The adjacent ends of portions 53, 55 are adapted to overlap as best seen in Fig. 1, when the body 11 is assembled. In other words, portion 53 is slidably received in portion 55 so that body 11 is of telescopic construction whereby the length of the body from endto-end may be varied by sliding the portions 53, 55 together for contraction of body 11 or sliding the portions in the opposite direction for expansion of the body. Coacting means is provided for holding portions 53, 55 at the desired positions relative to each other. Said coacting means preferably comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced rows 57 of spaced slots 59 extending substantially around portion 55, along a line in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of body 11, and a row of spaced protruding members 61, fixedly attached to portion 53 and arranged to respectively extend into a selected one of the rows 57 of slots 59 to join portions 53, 55. The construction of each of protruding members 61 is similar to a brad and extends outwardly from portion 53 with the outer head 63 thereof being spaced somewhat from the outer surface of portion 53 so that the shank 65 of member 61 can extend through a selected one of slots 59 with the head 63 anchored against the outside surface of portion 55 to lock the portions 53, 55 together. Each of slots 59 is preferably enlarged intermediate the ends thereof, as at 67, to facilitate passage of head 63 through the slot in fastening and unfastening. From the foregoing, it will be understood that the above described co-acting means securely locks the portions 53, 55 together substantially along a line extending around an intermediate portion of body 11 so that there can be no relative movement of the portions 53, 55.

A cushion-like border 69 is mounted around the top and outer end edges of portions 53, 55 so as to prevent irritation of the infant. Border 69 preferably comprises a sponge rubber interior 71, covered by a strip of material 73 of plastic or the like which is secured to the edges of portions 53, 55 as by stitching 75 or the like.

In using splint -13, the splint is first adjusted to the size of the infant as by placing protruding members 61 in the proper row 57 to give the desired length of body 11 and by adjusting members 41, 49 along straps 37, 45, respectively, for the proper size of the infants legs. Then with fasteners 39, 47 unfastened, and with a diaper 77 laid in position around the inner surface of body 11, the infant is placed in the splint on diaper 77, and snap fasteners 39, 47 are fastened. Thus, as best seen in Fig. 4, the hips of the infant are held in an ideal splinting position with the hips at 90 degrees fiexion and 90 degrees abduction. It will be understood that splint 13 can easily and quickly be removed for the changing of the diaper.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the splint of the present invention is washable, and is light in weight, yet is strong due to its tubular shape. In addition, such a splint is easy to take olf and put on. It requires no special fitting and is adjustable to the proper size for a patient.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A splint for treatment of the hips of an infant, said splint comprising a substantially tubular plastic body having openings adjacent the opposite ends thereof through which the legs of the infant are adapted to extend in opposite directions and said body having a trunk opening intermediate the ends of said body at 90 degrees relative to said first mentioned openings through which the trunk of said infant is adapted to extend whereby said splint is arranged to hold the hips of said infant in a splinting position of 90 degrees fiexion and 90 degrees abduction without rigid immobilization, in which said body is divided into two portions telescopically arranged for varying the end-to-end length of said body and the length of said trunk opening, one of said portions being provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced rows of spaced slots extending substantially around the portion, and the other of said portions being provided with a row of protruding members corresponding to a row of said slots and arranged to respectively extend into a selected row of said slots to hold said portions at the correct relative position for the desired size of said splint.

2. A device of the character described comprising a splint for infants, said splint including a substantially tubular plastic body havi g openings adjacent the opposite ends thereof through which the legs of the infant are adapted to extend substantially in opposite directions and having a trunk opening intermediate the ends of said body at 90 degrees relative to said first mentioned openings through which the trunk of said infant is adapted to extend, a diaper disposed in said body, said body being interrupted along longitudinal lines respectively extending between opposite ends of said body and said trunk opening to provide two pairs of adjacent longitudinal edges of said body whereby providing access for the legs of said infant to respectively pass for removing and putting on said splint, means for respectively coupling said longitudinal edges to hold said body around the legs and trunk of said infant and to hold said diaper in place on the infant without the aid of safety pins, in which said body is divided into two portions telescopically arranged for varying the end-to-end length of said body and the length of said trunk opening, one of said portions being provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced rows of spaced slots extending substantially around the portion, and the other of said portions being provided with a row of protruding members corresponding to a row of said slots and arranged to respectively extend into a selected row of said slots to hold said portions at the correct relative position for the desired size of said splint.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Slaughter Feb. 27, 1912 Moore Aug. 6, 1957 OTHER REFERENCES 

